Cigarette-making machinery



Sept. 3, 1929.

w. E. MOLINS 11,72 7 ,2199

CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINERY Filed Mar h 1927 35 Sheets-Sheet 11- IA/VEIVTOIP Sept. 3, 1929. w. o s 1,727,299

OIGARETTEMAKING MACHINERY Filed March 9, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTUF/VEY Sept. 3, 1929. w, MQUNS 1,727,299

CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINERY F l r h 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,727,299 PATENT OFFICE.

man swam MOLINS, or nnr'rro'nn, LONDON, ENGLAND.

' CIGARETTE-MAKING MACHINERY.

Application filed March 9, 1927, Serial No. 174,015, and in Great Britain March 23, 1926.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to cigarette making machinery, and more particularly to a device of the type which separates cigarettes produced by a cigarette making machine of the continuous rod type in such a manner that cigarettes, having their corresponding ends disposed in opposite directions, are arranged in separate batches with the cigarettes of each batch having their corresponding ends disposed in the same direction.

Thus in the manufacture of cork or like tipped cigarettes produced by a cigarette making machine of the continuous rod type, the severed cigarettes as they leave the cut ting mechanism have their tipped ends arranged adjacent to one another and it is therefore necessary to deliver the cigarettes in batches in which the cigarettes of each batch have their tipped ends disposed in the same direction.

With high speed cigarette making machines producing over nine hundred cigarettes per minute, it has become extremely diflicult to separate the cigarettes due to the high speed at which the same are travelling, and further, because the speed of the cigarettes has to be increased in order to separate them axially from one another, and many extremely complicated devices have been devised with varying degrees of success.

It is usual in devices of the above character to employ means which ensures that the axial speed of the cigarette is reduced before the same is moved on to a conveyor on which the cigarettes are arranged in separate batches, for example, in one construction the cigarettes are deflected upon two parallel bands arranged to travel at approximately half the speed of the cigarettes, and are thereafter deflected from these bands on to. a conveyor movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the cigarette rod, so as to be arranged in separate batches. Another device employed forthe ,same "purpose comprises a fluted drum rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis offthe -cl garette rod and arrangedto receive each successive cigarette in a flute-of the-drum so that the axial speed thereof is arrested by frictional engagement with the drum and thereafter the successive cigarettes are arranged around the cylindrical surface of the drum in a-staggered formation by means of cam operated plungers so as to ensure that the alternate cigarettes are subsequently arranged in separate batches upon a conveyor movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the cigarette rod.

These are two of the simplest and most effective of all the devices Which have hitherto been proposed, but it will be observed that they. are somewhat complicated in their ar? rangement and expensive to produce.

The present invention consists of a device of the type referred to which comprises in combination a conveyor operable to receive the successive cigarettes as they are severed from the rod and displace the same axially from one another, a rotatable vane or the like, adapted to remove each alternate cigarette from said conveyor and move the same in a direction transverse to the axis of the rod, and means (secured against movement relatively to the vane in the direction of the axis of the cigarette rod) disposed in the transverse path of the cigarettes and adapted to brake simultaneously both the axial and transverse speeds of each alternate cigarette The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying,

drawings, in which 2- Fig'. 1 is a,plan view of a device constructed according to the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device illustrated in Fig. 1 partly broken away to show details of the device. 7

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate. the preferable forms of construction of the two vanes employed according to the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a view looking in direction A.-A of Fig. 1.

Fi 7 is a side elevationv of the bridge whic guidesthe cigarettes from theledger mechanism into the throat of theconveyor belt hereinafter referred to, and

Fig. 8- is a device for retaining the cigagefites in position upon the said conveyor e t. Referring to'the drawings, the ci arettes 1 after they have been severed from t e cigarette rod travel along the bridge 2 (Fig. 7 which guides the cigarette into the throat 3 (Fig. 6) formed by a conveyor belt 4, and

llO

. of the rod, the successive cigarettes are separated axially from one another.

The cigarettes are moved bythe conveyor belt 4 in spaced relationship to one another, towards a rotatable vane 7 which is provided with a series of teeth 8 which rotate above the conveyor belt 4 so as to move each alternate cigarette from the conveyor belt 4- in a direction at right angles to the axis of the rod. The vane 7 is slidably'mounted upon a rotatable spindle 9 so as to be movable against the action of a spring 10 in the direction of the axis of the spindle 9 for the purpose of declutching the vane from the spindle 9, when a cigarette becomes jammed between the vane and a deflector plate'll.

Mounted between the spindle 9. and the conveyor belt 4 is.a slotted deflector plate 11 arranged so that the teeth 8 of the -vane'7 move through the slots in the plate Has the vane rotates. The Vane 7 is driven from the main drive of the cigarette machine by a shaft 12 which carries a sprocket wheel 13 which is connected with a second sprocket wheel 14 by means of a chain 15. The

I sprocket 14 is connected to a shaft 16 upon which 'is mounted a worm 17 which drives a worm Wheel 18 connected to an extensionof the spindle 9. The spindle 9 is driven at such a speed that each alternate cigarette is engaged by the teeth 8 of the vane and moved in a direction transverse to the direction of the axis of the cigarette rod, and due to. the high rotational speed of the vane 7, and the formation of the conveyor belt- (Fig. 4), the cigarette engaged by the teeth 8 is moved upwardly into engagement with the slotted deflector plate 11 and is thereafter moved by the teeth 8 over the surface of the plate until the cigarette is dropped upon a second conveyor 19 movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the cigarette rod. Due to the fact that the teeth move the cigarette into engagement with the plate 1 1, it is found that the action of the vane and the plate is such as to simultaneously reduce; both the axial and transverse speeds of the cigarette so as to enable the same, finally, to drop on to the conveyor 19. The intermediate ciga ret-tes which are not removed by the vane 7 are carried forwardly by the conveyor 4 after which they move under their own inertia in the direction of the axis of the cigarette rod. Mounted upon the spindle 9 at apomt be yond the end of the conveyor belt 4 is a second vane 20 preferably shaped inthe manner'1llustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, and secured the spindle 9 so that the surface thereofs disposed in a helical formation relatively to the axis of the spindle 9, and operable so that as the cigarette leaves the conveyor belt 4, it engages with a surface of the vane 20 which brakes the axial movement of the same, and due to the rotational movement of the vane deflects the. cigarette downwardly on to a chute 21 from which it rolls on to the conveyor 19.

It will be appreciated that the conveyor belt 4 may be carried over the complete width of the conveyor 19 and a duplication of the vane 7 and deflector plate 11 may be substituted for the vane 20 hereinbefore described.

they are severed from the rod and displace the same axially from one another, a rotat-' able vane or the like adapted to remove each alternate cigarette from said conveyor and move the same in a direction transverse to the axis of the rod, and means, disposed in the transverse path of the cigarettes, adapted to brake simultaneously both the axial and transverse speeds of each alternate cigarette and deposit the same on a second conveyor movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of ethe cigarette rod.

2. A device of the type referred to which comprises in combination a conveyor operable to receive successive cigarettes as they are severed from the rod and displace the same axially from one another, a rotatable vane or the like adapted to remove each alternate cigarette from said conveyor and move the same in a direction transverse to the axis of the rod and a fixed'deflector arranged in the transverse path of the cigarettes and operable in conjunction with the said vane to brake simultaneously both the axiai and transverse speeds of the cigarette and deflect the same on to a second conveyor movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the cigarette rod.

3. A device of the type referred towhich comprises in combination a conveyor operable to grip successive cigarettes as they are severed from the rod and displace the same axially from one another a vane rotatable about an axis parallel to he axis of the rod operable ;to remove each alternate cigarette from said conveyor'and move the same in a direction transverse to the axis of the rod, and a fixed deflector plate disposed between the conveyor and the rotational axis of the vane, operable in conjunction with the vane to brake simultaneously both the axial and transverse speeds of each cigarette and to deflect the same on to a second conveyor movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the cigarette rod.

4:. A device of the type referred to which comprises in combination a canveyor operable to grip the successive cigarettes as they are severed from the rod and displace the same axially from one another, a toothed vane rotatable about an axis parallelto the axis of the rod, operable to remove each alternate cigarette from said conveyor and move the same in a direction transverse to the axis of the rod, and a slotted deflector plate disposed between the conveyor and the rotational axis of the'vane arranged to permit the teeth of the vane to pass through the slots thereof as the vane rotates, and operable in conjunction with the said vane tobrake simultaneously both the axial and transverse speeds of each cigarette and deflect the same on to a second conveyor movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the rod. I

5. A device of the type referred to which comprises in combination a conveyor operable to grip successive cigarettes as they are severed from the rod and displace the same axially from one another, a vane rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the rod operable to remove each alternate cigarette from said conveyor and move the same in a direction transverse to the axis of the rod, and a fixed deflector plate disposed between the conveyor and the rotational axis of the vane, operable in conjunction with the vane to brake simultaneously both the axial and transverse speeds of each cigarette and to deflect the same on to a second conveyor movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the cigarette rod, the leading face of the vane being of convex formation and the under side of the deflector being of concave formation, the two being arranged sothat each cigarette is controlled by both the vane and the deflector as the same is moved from the first on to the second conveyor.

6. A device of the type referred to which comprises in combination a conveyor operable to grip successive cigarettes as they are severed from the rod and displace the same axially from one another, a vane rotatable about an axis parallel to the. axis of the rod operable to remove each alternate cigarette from said conveyor and move the same in a direction transverse to the axis of the rod, and a fixed deflector plate disposed between the conveyor and the rotational axis of the vane, operable in conjunction with the vane to brake simultaneously both the axial and transverse speeds of each cigarette and to deflect the same on to a second conveyor movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the cigarette rod, the leading face of the vane being of convex formation and the under side of the deflector being'of concave formation, the two being arranged so that each cigarette is controlled by both the vane and the deflector as the same is moved from the first on to the second conveyor, each alternate cigarette being removed from the first conveyor by the said vane and arranged in a single row upon said second conveyor, and a rotary vane disposed in advance of the first vane (relatively to the direction of movement of the cigarette rod) and operable to brake the axial and transverse speeds of the intermediate cigarettes and simultaneously deflect the same on to the second conveyor.

7. A device of the type referred to which comprises in combination a conveyor operable to grip successive cigarettes as they are severed from the rod and displace the same axially from one another, a vane rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the rod operable to remove each alternate cigarette from said conveyor and move the same in a direction transverse to the axis of the rod, and a fixed deflector plate disposed between the conveyor and the rotational axis of the vane, operable in conjunction with the vane to brake simultaneously both the axial and transverse speeds of each cigarette and todeflect the same on to a second conveyor movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the cigarette rod, the leading face of the vane being of convex formation and the under side of the deflector being of concave formation, the tWo being arranged so that each cigarette is controlled by both the vane and the deflector as the same is moved from the first on to the second conveyor, each alternate cigarette being removed from the first conveyor by the said vane and arranged in a single row upon said second conveyor, and a rotary vane disposed in advance of the first vane (relatively to the direction of movement of the cigarette rod) and provided with a surface of convex helical formation for engaging the intermediate cigarettes to brake the axial and transverse speeds of the latter and simultaneously deflect the same on to the second conveyor. I

8. A device of the type referred to which comprises in combination a conveyor operable to grip the successive cigarettes as they are severed from the rod and displace the same axially from one another, a toothed vane rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the rod, operable to remove each alternate cigarette from said conveyor and move the same in a direction transverse to the axis of the rod, and a slotted deflector plate disposed between the conveyor and the rotational axis of the vane arranged to permit the teeth of the vane to pass through the slots thereof as both the axial and transverse speeds of each cigarette and deflect the same on to a second conveyor movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the rod, the vane being able to grip successive cigarettes as they are severed from the rod and displace the same axiallv'from one another, a toothed vane rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the rod operable to remove each alternate cigarette from said conveyor and move the same in a direction transverse to the axis of the rod, and a slotted deflector plate disposed between the conveyor and the rotational axis of the vane arranged to permit the teeth of the vane to pass through the slots of theideflector and operable in conjunction with the vane to brake simultaneously both the axial and transverse speeds of each cigarette and to defiect the same on to a second conveyor movable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the cigarette rod the leading face of, the toothed vane being of convex formation and the under side of the slotted deflector being of concave formation.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

WALTER EVERETT MOLINS. 

